Meet Roxy! She is an eleven month old German Shepherd who has joined us for our Two Week Board and Train Program! Roxy is here for basic obedience, jumping to greet, counter surfing, and leash pulling. Roxy is very friendly and wants to interact with people and other dogs anytime she is out. She also counter surfs, and will take any food from the table that is left out. Roxy will also get overly excited when people are over and will jump on them for attention. Over the next fourteen days, Roxy will be working on her behaviors and be set up for success, with the hopes of becoming a well mannered pup. Check in to see her progress!
Roxy and I spent the afternoon getting to know each other. Shortly after pickup, we went for a walk around the park to establish a bond. During our walk, she was easily distracted by the grass smells and she would also try and make an approach to anyone that was passing us by. Roxy would also get focused on other dogs and would immediately pull on her leash to try and interact with them. To keep her from doing so, I introduced Roxy to Heel, which is a technique that consists of having her walk next to me on my left side. Anytime she pulled away from me, I would stop, make a turn, walk in the opposite direction, and guide her back towards me with leash tension. It took some time for her to understand what was being asked of her, but she is learning the concept. She still pulls but not as much as she did before, so she is making progress. I will continue to work on it with her as it will now be applied on every walk that we go on from here on out.
Roxy and I drove out to a local park today and continued to practice her Heel. The weather was in our favor as we managed to get a good walk in and have a good session. During pickup, I noticed how much Roxy wanted to interact with people and how much she would pull towards dogs. Today she was around a couple of pups in the area, and I worked her through it by redirecting her from a distance, and slowly worked my way closer with her. As you can see in the clip, she did look at the other pup passing by, but she remained in a Sit the whole time. As training continues, I will gradually begin to increase the amount of dog distractions with hopes of having Roxy remain in a calm relaxed state. I was also able to introduce her to her recall which is known as Come to Sit. This technique consists of having Roxy come towards my right side, go around behind me, with her ending in a Sit on my left. With leash tension, I guided her towards my right, took a step forward to help her go behind me, finishing with a little leash tension towards my left and having her Sit. Although she does stop on my right side at times, she is understanding the concept as we continue to work on it. Roxy did very well her first night here, and is adjusting well to my home.
Roxy and I met up with other trainers and their pups today. They assisted us by serving as a distraction, while we worked on her playful reactivity towards other dogs. It did take her some time to adjust to her surroundings, but she did very well with them and managed to be around them in a calm relaxed state. By rewarding her with treats and verbal praise, I was able to control Roxy from becoming overly excited when being in a short distance from them. She still sat up a few times, but it is a process that takes time, as we will work on her duration down the line. For now, I want Roxy to understand that it is ok to be around fellow pups without having to be over stimulated. I will remain consistent with this approach, hoping that Roxy will continue to progress as we move further along with her Program.
Roxy and I worked on Place today. This technique consists of having Roxy getting onto an elevated object and remaining there in a Sit or a Down. It serves great purpose when guests are over, and it can also build confidence in a dog. To teach Roxy, I introduced the object to her by approaching it, and guiding her with leash tension to get her on. She was a bit hesitant initially and did not want to get on. To assist her into doing so, I got onto the object myself and had her follow. She was able to place her front paws on it, so I rewarded her with verbal praise for doing it. After a few repetitions, she began placing her front paws without me on the object. To help Roxy’s back legs get on, I gave her a boost to work her through it. Since she is a little hesitant, it is important to be patient with Roxy and take it step by step. She still needs practice, but Roxy now understands the concept, and continues to work through it.
Roxy and I worked on Place a little more today. She does well in low distracting environments, but becomes very nervous when working in high distracting environments. Today at the pier, it took Roxy quite some time to adjust to her surroundings, and even after our walk throughout the area, she was still pretty nervous. We moved to an area with less activity going on, and she was doing well until the sound of the waves crashing below us startled her. I was able to work her through it somewhat, but Roxy still needs to be desensitized some more. She also has a high prey drive, and would try to chase after bird shadows, and also a reflection off a phone screen. Roxy and I will continue working in low distracting environments for the time being, and keep trying to build her confidence a little more moving forward.
Roxy and I have been working on Down. This command can be one of the most difficult to teach a dog considering it being a submissive position, and it can also make a dog feel vulnerable being down on all fours. Roxy came into her Program having an understanding of Down, but would immediately come out of it as soon as I stepped away. To keep Roxy from doing so, anytime I would ask her to Down, I would reward her with a treat when she would follow through. I would then release her with a “Break,” and reward her with verbal praise. Once Roxy gave me consistency, I repeated the exercise and would only reward her with treats if she remained in position. If Roxy sat up, I would reset her and work her through it. With time and patience, I was able to take a step away from Roxy while she remained in a Down, which came with a big reward and lots of praise. She is now able to hold her Down from a short distance without getting up and coming towards me.
Roxy and I worked on some leash dragging exercises. We practiced her Heel and her recall. This is the first time that Roxy works without the use of leash tension, so it was a little difficult for her to comprehend. She was also distracted by a few dogs passing by in the background, but she did well by not trying to make an approach towards them. Her Heel was pretty good, but her Come to Sit still needs some work, so I will continue to practice with her to have it cleaned up. With week one coming to a close, we will continue with her leash dragging to prepare Roxy for her off leash experience, as well as working with a longer leash to work on distance duration.
Roxy and I are working with a long leash to establish distance and duration. With the long line attached to Roxy, it allows me to distance myself from her while still maintaining control in case she comes out of her position. To increase distance, I ask Roxy to Sit or Down, take one foot back, wait five seconds, and release her when she follows through. I continue the exercise with about five reps, and once I see consistency, I then take two steps back and wait ten seconds. If Roxy comes out of it during the ten seconds, I reset her, go back to one foot and five seconds, and repeat as needed. She is doing well with it, and I can move back about six to eight feet with her in position.
Roxy and I have been working on her Door Manners. She was quite the stubborn pup initially, as she always wanted to be the first one through the door. We have been practicing with the long line and gradually increasing distance as explained in her previous pupdate. With time, Roxy began to understand what was being asked, and although we had a few exercises in which she sat up and made her way towards me, I was able to work her through it with constant repetition. As you can see in the clip, there were two dogs who happened to run by, one at the fifteen second mark of the video, and the other at about the forty five second mark. Despite these distractions, Roxy was able to remain in her position and not get up. Moving forward, before opening any door, always ask Roxy to Sit or Down. If she sits up, close the door and reset her back into position. Repeat the exercise as needed and work her through it. Always remain consistent so that Roxy may continue to show great results.
Roxy and I worked on some more confidence building at a local park today. She was very hesitant about new objects due to the texture and shape initially, but I worked her through it so that she may feel more comfortable. During our first few reps, she would climb up towards the object, so I changed the approach of walking up to it by giving her a running start and getting her excited with some verbal encouragement. It made a big difference, and it gave Roxy more confidence, which led to her hopping on rather than climbing on. Keep in mind when working with Roxy that showing excitement can motivate her to perform better by reinforcing positive behavior through enthusiasm and positive reinforcement. Dogs are responsive to our emotions, so when they see our excitement, they often mirror and respond to it positively, encouraging them to perform better to receive more praise, treats, or playtime.
Roxy and I worked on off leash exercises today at an outdoor shopping center. We worked around people and other dogs, and Roxy did really well. Her recall has gotten much better, and she continues to improve on her Place command. She has come a long way in maintaining her stationary positions, and can hold them for a good amount of time. Her Heel still needs a minor adjustment, but I am working on cleaning it up with our morning and evening walks. Roxy is just about ready to begin filming her Final video, which will be the main focus for the remainder of her Training Program.
Roxy and I have been working on her Greeting Manners. Anytime Roxy would be approached by someone, it was almost immediate that she would jump on that person and seek attention that way. Her behavior was improper as it can easily knock someone over given her size and her strength. Over time, Roxy and I began to make progress with a different approach which consisted of her remaining in a Sit when wanting to be greeted. If she would get up, I would kindly ask the person to take a step back, while I reset her back into position before proceeding. It took some time and patience, but Roxy can now be approached and greeted, as long as she is in a calm relaxed state.
Roxy and I have been working on her Food Manners. In the beginning of her Program, anytime I would approach Roxy with her food bowl, she would almost immediately run towards it whenever I would put it down. To correct her behavior, I would ask her to Sit and slowly begin to place her bowl on the ground. If Roxy would come towards it once I put it down, I would immediately pick it up and reset her back into position. With time, she began to understand the concept, as she remained in a Sit or Down until I let her know it was ok to eat. We were also able to work on her counter surfing behavior. As you can see in this clip, I have her food bowl and some cheese cubes on the counter. Roxy did very well and did not go for either even when I stepped away. By practicing exercises like this in your home with her, she will continue to do well and will only get better moving forward. She is doing great, and can now patiently wait for her food.
Roxy has completed her Two Week Board and Train Program and is ready to come home. I want to thank you for the opportunity that I had in being her trainer, as well as trusting me with Roxy while she was under my care. She is a great pup and very intelligent. She has learned so much in the short amount of time she was in training, and is capable of learning so much more. Remember to always remain consistent with her training, and to also remain patient. I am proud of her results, and I can not wait to show you what she has learned. Thank you Roxy!
